The Note
by sparkygirl82
Summary: A note on Stella's desk brings back some memories of a man she cares deeply for.


A/N: Wow, been awhile since I wrote anything! Being gone training with the Air Force I guess can put a damper on any free time to write! This is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Set in S7, so general knowledge of any missing characters is the only real spoiler. Hope you enjoy! As always, feed back is loved and appreciated. And yeah, we all know I don't own these characters.

"In my darkest moment, when all seems lost, you are at my side"

Stella stared at the handwritten note that she kept on her desk. It had been one of those rough days. She had had a lot of them since becoming the head of the lab in New Orleans. But even when things got bad, Mac always seemed to find some way to bring things back into perspective for her, to make the world a little more manageable. Mac's familiar scrawl still brought a smile to her face, years after he had originally written the note.

It hadn't been long since they had solved Chopper's murder that it had mysteriously shown up on her desk. It had been a few months since her ordeal with Frankie, but there were instances that brought her mind rushing back to that day. It was right after the case with Grace Thomason, the woman who had killed her husband and tried to cover it up. Stella had poured her heart and soul into trying to help that woman, knowing the emotional torment she would be feeling. But all her hard work had led Stella to the truth; that Grace had been nothing more than a manipulative, cold-blooded killer. The case had left Stella drained both physically and emotionally.

Mac had been sweet though. After all the paperwork had been filed on the case, when she had signed the last document and feared exhaustion might finally win over her…he had appeared in the doorway to her office, his hands in his pockets and a sad smile on his face. Silently he grabbed her coat off the rack and came to stand next to her. Silently he watched as she stood, helping her into the coat like the gentleman he was. Without a word he led her out the door, his hand on her lower back. He maneuvered her to the elevator and down to the parking garage where he helped her into the passenger side of the Avalanche. Throughout the ride to her apartment both detectives were quiet, only needing the small glances to communicate what was necessary. He picked up Chinese for them on the way to her apartment. With one look from Stella, they both made their way up to her apartment. After he had made sure she had eaten and would be resting he took his leave, but not before imploring her to take the following day off.

The sharp staccato rang through the nearly empty halls of the lab two days later as Stella made her way to her office. It was still early in the morning and most of the lab techs hadn't started their shift for the day. She had actually taken the previous day off and felt much more rested and back in control of her emotions again. As she walked through her door, she glanced down to Mac's office. He was already on the phone but shot a quick glance up at her, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smile before turning his attention back to the computer in front of him. She beamed back at him as she stepped around to her desk. Sitting in the middle was a single daisy in a vase and a hand-written letter. She smiled as she saw the familiar scrawl. Just then she felt a pair of eyes on her as she looked up to the door to find Mac casually leaning against the frame. "Thanks Mac, for everything" she said with eyes that shined. She watched as he dropped his gaze to his feet, a small blush flashing across his cheeks for a moment. She moved to stand in front of him as he slowly brought his gaze back up to her, their eyes locking. Feeling impulsive, Stella reached out, resting her hand on his arm, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Really, thank you."

Mac just continued to look at her for a moment before dropping his gaze, a shy smile still on his face. "It's what we do; we take care of each other."

They both took a deep breath and then Mac looked back up, and Stella could see that he had switched back to "head of the lab" mode.

"So what've we got…?" Stella asked, knowing the job was never done.

Stella smiled as she thought of the memory. She missed New York and the team. She had been up to visit many times, but it never seemed the same anymore. She still didn't regret her choice to take the position in New Orleans though. She loved her new team and all the challenges that came with the position. Each day was an adventure and she continued to learn more about herself as a detective and as a person and what she was capable of accomplishing. There were still things that she definitely missed though, or at least a certain person who she no longer saw on a daily basis. She relaxed as a warm hand came to rest on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Looking up she found a pair of slate blue eyes, a glint of amusement in them.

"You still have that note I wrote you all those years ago?"

Standing up, Stella turned to the man who still made her heart skip a beat. "So I'm a romantic with pack-rat tendencies. You'd be surprised at how many rough days that note has helped me through, especially when you're not here to kiss me and make me feel better!"

Mac dropped his eyes for a moment, the guilt of not always being there for her weighing on his heart.

"Hey Mac, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make you feel bad about our situation. I knew going into this what the sacrifices would be. You still have the lab to run in New York and I'm here. Trust me, I still think I got the better end of the deal! And if nothing else, we've both racked up enough frequent flyer miles to pay for a decent vacation if we ever have time!" Stella moved so she was toe to toe with Mac, her arms winding around his neck.

Smiling, Mac rested his hands on her waist, enjoying being close to her. He leaned in and brushed a soft kiss to her forehead. "How did I get so lucky to deserve you."

Stella just beamed at him as she let him lead her out of the office. Little did she know there were big changes for them both in the works! At least as long as she said yes to a little blue box that was currently burning a hole in his jacket pocket…


End file.
